Yarn severing means for knitting machines



Feb. 16, 1960 Filed Oqt. 1. 1956 J. D. MOYER YARN SEVERING MEANS FORKNITTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 EE J Eed No.5

' 4/ Feed No.1

, INVENTOR. James 17. M0 er BY M0%- 'ATTORNEY.

FedIYol Fe b. 16, 1960 J.- D. MOYER 2,924,958

YARN SEVERING' MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 1, 1956 4Sheets-Sheet 2 llmll INVENTOR. Jzimcs D. Mayer A TTORNE Y.

Feb. 16, 1960 J. D. MOYER 2,924,953

I YARN SEVERING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 1, 1956 4Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY.

Unit States nt '0 YARN SEVERING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES James D.Moyer, Wyomissing, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing,Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 1, 1956, SerialNo. 613,288

3 Claims. (Cl. 66-140) This invention relates to knitting machineshaving yarn feeding and changing mechanism for forming patterned fabricsand more particularly to means in such machines for severing the yarnsbetween the yarn feeding means and the fabric following removal of theyarns from knitting action.

In present knitting machines and particularly machines of the typehaving a circular series of needles for knitting patterned tubularfabrics, the yarn feeding meansis operated by pattern means to introducethe yarns into and to remove them from knitting action according to thedesired pattern. In the usual practice, after a yarn is removed fromknitting action it is first clamped between the yarn feeding means andthe fabric and then severed between the clamping means and the fabric.In order to insure the proper severing of each yarnas it is taken out ofaction, a severing means is provided which is usually positioned Withinthe needle circle and which is operated by pattern means having the sameor substantially the same operating sequence as the yarn feeding means.Consequently when the pattern sequence of the yarn feeding means ischanged to produce a different design pattern in the fabric, it is alsonecessary to change the pattern sequence of the yarn severing meanswhich results in a considerable increase in down time of the machine andloss of production. Furthermore, in machines having a plurality offeeding stations, the down time and loss of production increases inproportion to the number of feeding stations.

Another objection to the known types of yarn severing means is that thepattern means therefor must, because of space requirements, bepositioned outside of the needle cylinder and beyond other operatingparts of the machine. This not only further complicates the complexdesign of the machine but also requires the use of extremely longconnections between the severing means and the pattern means which aredifficult to adjust and frequently cause defective operation of thesevering means.

It is an object of the invention to provide a knitting machinewith-means for severing yarns removed from knitting action which meansis so constructed as to over-. come the above mentioned and otherdefects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a knitting machine withyarn severing means which iscontrolled in its yarn severing operationsby the yarns taken out of knitting action.

A further object of the invention is to provide a circular knittingmachine with means for severing the yarns taken out of action, whichmeans and the means for controlling the operation thereof are positionedwithin the circular outline of the needle cylinder.

A still further object is to provide a circular knitting machine withmeans for severing yarns taken out of knitting action having electricaloperating means and a switch which is actuated by the yarns to energizethe electrical operating means.

With these and other objects in view which will become 2,924,958 P atented Feb. 16, 1960 apparent from the following detailed description ofthe illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanyingdrawings, the invention resides in the novel elements, features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship ashereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a multifeed circularknitting machine illustrating the yarn feeding means at each of thefeeds;

Fig. 2 is a view partially in cross section and partially in elevationshowing the yarn severing means according to the'invention and takensubstantially in the direction of the arrows 2-2 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of certain of themechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale of the yarn severing means shownin Fig. 2 with a portion of a cover member for the device being brokenaway;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 55of Fig. 4 and diagrammatically showing a portion of yarn feeding means;

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of a portion of the mounting means for thesevering device as seen in the direction of the arrows 6-6 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 77of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a view of the mechanism of Fig. 7 taken in the direction ofthe arrows 8-8;

Fig. 9is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 99 onFig. 4;

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 1010 on Fig. 4;and

Fig. 11 is a view diagrammatically illustrating an electrical circuitfor the yarn severing means.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, theinvention has been shown as employed in a circular knitting machinehaving a plurality of feeding or knitting stations, of the type shownand described in a patent application of Benjamin Franklin Coile, SerialNo. 329,801, filed January 6, 1953. It will be understood, however, thatit is similarly applicable to other circular knitting machines, themachine of the Coile application being selected for purposes ofillustration only. The machine of said Coile application includesneedles 20 of the pivoted latch type which are slidably mounted forvertical movement in slots 21 in a needle cylinder 22 having both rotaryand reciprocating motion. Cooperating with the needles 20 are sinkers orweb holders 25 which are supported for horizontal sliding movementbetween the needles in radial slots in an inner ring 26 secured to theupper edge of the cylinder 22 and an outer ring 27 secured to a flange30 projecting from the cylinder. The sinkers 25 are maintained inposition in the slots by a sinker cam ring 31 which is centered inrelation to the needle cylinder by a ring member 32. The cam ring 31carries cams, one of which is shown at 35, for operating the sinkers 25.The needles 20 are operated by cams (not shown) to cooperate with thesinkers 25 to form yarns into fabric loops in the usual manner at eachof the feeding stations.

Yarns such as indicated at 36 (Fig. 5) are fed to the needles 20 throughyarn fingers 37, four of which are shown at each of four feedingstations indicated generally as Feed Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the fingersbeing pivotally mounted for movement between a lowered or activeposition in which the yarns are taken by the needles and knitted intoloops and a raised or inactive position in which the yarns are out ofaction. The fingers 37 at each of the feeding stations are supported fortheir pivotal movement in blocks 40 secured to the 'c'am'ring 31"and areoperated between the active and inactive positions by a button drum '41rotatably carried on a shaft 42. The ends of the shaft 42 are secured toarms 44 and 45 which are adjustably carried on upright studs 46 and 48,respectively, secured in a fixed position on the machine. The buttondrum 41 is rotated in a step wise manner by an associated pawl andratchet device 47 mounted on the shaft 42, the pawl and ratchet devicebeing selectively operated by connections from the main pattern drums(not shown) of the machine. With the exception of the arrangement ofbuttons in the drum 41, the operating means for the yarn fingers 37 ateach of the four feeds are identical and are given like referencecharacters.

.Normally, when a yarnfinger 37 is in active position and the machine isin reciprocating motion, the yarn 36 carried by the'iinger enters aspace 53 between a binder plate 50 and a lower disc 52 which are securedto the underside of a square block 55 supported'on the machine ashereinafter set forth. When the yarn finger 37 is raised to inactiveposition by its associated button drum 41, the yarn is raised above thebinder plate 50. As the cylinder 22 and needles 20 are rotated, the yarnwhich is attached to the fabric on the needles, is carried above thebinder plate 50 and beneath a pair of spring clamps 51 secured to theupper surface of the binder plate. As the cylinder 22 continues torotate the yarn is carried between a stationary blade and amovable'blade of a scissor type cutter device 49 to sever the yarnbetween the clamps 51 and the needles at each of the feeding stations.The construction and operation of the foregoing parts of the machine,with the exception of the cutter operating means which embodies theinstant in vention, are more fully shown and described in the aforesaidapplication Serial No. 329,801.

In accordance with the instant invention the block 55 is provided withslots 56 which interfit the lower ends of walls or fins 57 of across-like member 60, the block being secured to the fins bysetscrews-61 (Fig. The upp'erends of the fins 57 of the member 60interfit and are secured in slots 62 in a disc-like member 65 bysetscrews 66 (Figs. 4 and 9). The member 65 has a hub 67 which issecured in a free end 70 of an arm 71 by means of setscrews 72. The arm71 has its other end 75, forked, as shown in Fig. 2, for engagement Withopposite faces of a support block 76, the forked end being retained inpivotal engagement with the support block by a pin 77 (Figs. 3 and 6).The support block 76 is shown positioned between Feed Stations Nos. 2and 3 (Fig. l) and one end of the support block is mounted for pivotalmovement on the post 48 supporting one end of the shaft 42 for the drum41 at the No. 3 Feed.

The vertical position of the support block 76 on the post '48 isdetermined by a collar 80 which is secured in adjusted position on thepost by a setscrew 81. The other end of the support block has an openend slot 82. forming arms 85 adapted to lie at opposite. sides of thepost 46 which supports one end of the shaft 42 for the drum 41 at theNo. 2 Feed. The arms 85 carry setscrews 84 and 86, respectively, forengagement with opposite sides of the post 46, the setscrewsprovidingadjustment for the support block 76 and meansfor maintaining the supportblock in 'engagement'with the collar 80 on the post 48. The setscrew 86is provided with a nut 88 to lock this setscrew in adjusted position inits arm 85 of the support block 76. The othersetscrew 84 is releasablefrom its engagement with the post 46 for the purpose hereinafter setforth.

The arm 71'is also pivotally adjustable about the axis of the pin 77 toaccurately center the binder plate 50 with respect'to the needlecylinder 22. For this purpose, th'earrn 71 has cars 87 projecting fromopposite sides of the'arm. Each of the ears-87 adjustably carries -asetscrew '90 for'engagementwith the support block 76 and each of thesetscrews is provided with a nut 91 to lock it in adjusted position.

At times it is desired to remove the binder plate 50 and the supportingmeans therefor to inactive position in order to make repairs oradjustments to parts of the machine normally covered by the binderplate. In order to accomplish this, the setscrew 84 is backed outtodisengage the post 46 and the setscrew 81 is backed out to release thecollar 80 from the post 48. The collar 80 and support block 76 areraised along the post 48 until the lower surface of the support block isabove the top of the post 46. The collar 80 is then secured to the post48 in the new position by the setscrews 81 and the block 76 is rotatedon the post 48 to position the arm 71 and binder plate 50 to one side ofthe needle cylinder. To return the binder plate 50 and associated partsto their active position the block 76 is rotated to substantially centerthe binder plate 50 with the needle cylinder 22 and the collar 80released and lowered on the post 48 with'thesupport block 76 to thecorrect height. The collar 80 is again secured to the post and thesetscrew 84 is tightened against the post 46 which correctly centers thebinder plate 50 with respect to the needle cylinder 22.

The cutter devices 49, one of which is provided for the yarns at eachfeeding station are identical in structure and include a blade 92 whichis heldin stationary position against one face of the block 55 by meansof a stud 95 threaded into the block and a blade 96 pivotally mounted onthe stud (Figs. 4, 5 and 7). A coil spring 97 mounted on the stud 95between the blade 96 and a. head portion 100 of the stud and having itsends anchored to the head portion and blade 96, respectively, biases theblade 96 against the blade 92 and also to open or raised position asshown in Figs. 4 and 7. An end 101 of the blade-96 is pivotallyconnected to one end of a link 102 by means of a pin 105 and the otherend of the link is pivotally connected .by a pin 106 to one end of acore member 107 of a solenoid 108. The solenoid 108 is secured to one ofthe fins 57 by screws 109, as shown in Fig. 4.

The solenoid 108 is in an electrical circuit including leads 110 and 111which may be connected to the main source of electrical energy for themachine in any well known manner. The lead is connected to one end of acoil or winding 112 of the solenoid 108 and the other end of the coil isconnected by a conductor 115 through a normally open micro-switch 116 tothe lead 111 as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 11. The micro-switch 116is secured to one leg 117 of an L-shaped bracket 120 (Fig.7) secured tothe top of the block 55 by means of screws indicated at 121 in Figs. 4,7 and 10. The microswitch 116 has a contact button 122 which is operatedby an arm 125 pivotally mounted on a bracket 126 secured to the switch.The bracket126 has an car 127 which is bent to overlie the path ofmovement of the arm 125, as shown at the lower right of Fig. 4, tothereby limit the movement of the arm away from the switch 116 to theposition as shown at the lower left of Fig. 4, this positionrepresenting the position of the arm when the micro-switch is open. Asshown in Figs. 4 and 5, the binder plate 50 is provided with elongatedslots 130 to receive the lower end of each of the arms 125. The solenoid108 and micro-switch 116 for the cutter device 49 at each of the feedsare connected to the leads 110 and 111 in like manner (Fig. 11).

in operation, and as the cylinder of the machine continues to turn, ayarn being removed from kntting action is carried between the blades 92and 96 and is then brought into engagement with the arm 125 to move itand depress the button 122 toclose the micro-switch 116. Closing themicro-switch 116 closes the circuit :between the leads 110 and 111 andthereby energizes the coil 112 of the solenoid 108 which actuates thecore member 107 to moveithe blade 96 to-closed position relative to theblade 92 and sever the yarn. As the yarn is severed and the tensionthereon released the arm 125 and button 122 are returned to the positionof Fig. 4 to open the microswitch to break the circuit through the coil112 whereupon the weight of the core member 107 and the spring 97 act tomove the blade 96 to open position.

It is to be understood that the multi-feed machine shown is illustrativeonly and a severing means according to the invention is equallyapplicable to machines having, for example, a single feed but in theoperation of which one or more yarn changes are made during a cycle inthe knitting of a fabric tube or garment such as a stocking.

Inasmuch as, in accordance with the instant invention, the severing of ayarn is controlled by theyarn itself the severing of the yarns willautomatically follow any variation in the operating pattern of the yarnfingers 37, eliminating the necessity of a pattern control for the yarncutters and the setting of the same to follow such operating pattern.

In the event that a cutter device 49 fails to operate to sever a yarntaken out of action due to a fault occurring in the electrical circuitof a solenoid 108, the machine must be stopped before theyarn causesdamage to elements of the machine and/or fabric. For this purpose thereis provided means for stopping the operation of the machine including aflexible metallic arm 131 which is mounted on a block 132 of insulatingmaterial such as hard rubber or the like by means of a bolt 134. In theinstant arrangement the block 132 is secured to the bracket 120 for themicro-switch 116 associated with the yarns at Feed No. 3 by screws 135(Figs. 7 and 8). The bolt 134 extends through the block 132 and isconnected by a conductor 136 (Figs. 4 and 8) which is in turn connectedto the electrical circuit of the machine motor (not shown). The free endof the arm 131 lies within aligned apertures 140 and 141 in the binderplate 50 and disc 52, respectively and is normally positioned centrallyof the apertures. However, when a yarn taken out of action is notsevered this yarn will enter the space 53 between the binder plate 50and disc 52 and engage and deflect the arm 131 into engagement with thebinder plate 50 which will open the circuit for the motor and stop themachine.

The stop means forms no part of the instant invention and is only shownand described herein in suflicient detail to show its cooperation withthe yarn severing means of the instant invention. For a more detaileddisclosure of the operation of the stop means and its connection to theelectrical operating circuit of the machine, reference may be made tothe aforesaid application Serial No. 329,801.

It will be understood that the improvements specifically shown anddescribed by which the above described results are obtained can bechanged and modified in various ways without departing from theinvention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means movable intoand out of a yarn feeding position, a rotatable needle cylinder, meansfor causing movement of said cylinder, means for forming yarn fed bysaid yarn feeding means into fabric during said movement of saidcylinder such fabric being carried with said cylinder, means for movingsaid yarn feeding means out of yarn feeding position under patterncontrol, actuatable means for severing said yarn between said yarnfeeding means and said fabric when said yarn feeding means is moved outof yarn feeding position, and means located in the path of the yarnextending between said inoperative yarn feeding means and the fabric andoperated by the yarn as it is carried by said movement. of said cylinderto cause actuation of said yarn severing means.

2. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatableneedle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder for forming yarns fedby said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said yarnfeeding means to move the yarns fed thereby between knitting andnon-knitting positions, and means for severing a yarn between saidfeeding means and said needles when said yarn is moved to non-knittingposition comprising a pair of cutter blades between which the yarn iscarried by said needles during rotation of said needle cylinder whensaid yarn is moved to non-knitting position, spring means for normallymaintaining said cutter blades in open position to receive said yarn, asolenoid pivotally connected to one of said cutter blades, an electricalcircuit in which said solenoid is connected, a normally open switch insaid circuit, and means operated by said yarn as it is moved betweensaid cutter blades to close said switch and circuit to actuate saidsolenoidand move said one cutter to closed position.

3. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatableneedle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder for forming yarns fedby said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said yarnfeeding means to move the yarns fed thereby between knitting .andnon-knitting positions, and means for severing a yarn between saidfeeding means and said needles when said yarn is moved to non-knittingposition comprising a stationary cutting blade and a movable cuttingblade between which the yarn is carried by said needles duringReferences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS427,465 Davidson-et a1. May 6, 1890 2,580,513 Brown Jan. 1, 19522,602,313 Reading July 8, 1952 2,674,866 Dyjak Apr. 13, 1954 2,806,4871957 Zapf Sept. 17,

